Archive

I am announcing that from yesterday you can also have a daily look at www.hellocopenhagen.dk and see there my small imput. In a while this cooperation might be even extended to more than just simple posts.

Recent times are not allowing us to do much more then stick our noses in the books. However, we need breaks to get some fresh air ( and this does not mean a cigarette!). Quick Christmas shopping- the best break in the current situation. If you know what you want for presents for you friends- easier, if you don’t.. well.. let me give you some tips:

3) vintage shops- maaannnyyy in Copenhagen, one very cool, cheap and not-that-super-cool ( after Subway near Norreport station turn left and keep going and you will find it on your right side, just go downstairs).

posting presentss

However, Christmas is about getting into family spirit and this is what made me watch ” The Royal Tenenbaums”. First I got a link to this song from my Parisian friend ( yes Vesna, you!):

but then I thought: what is this movie with Gwyneth Paltrow and I got an immedaite response: The Royal Tenenbaums, and ” you have to watch it”. And I did- crazy family arrengments with a bit of literary angle, all in all and well. I would say- good to get in Christmas spirit. Next to Judy Garland and ” Meet me in St Louis” ( this is a Christmas must!).

December came surprisingly fast and so is Christmas. Festive celebrations are starting, summing up of what we did and what ought to do and more importantly what is that we really want to achieve. It is a good time to remember about the closest – being with them, treating them with a small gift. Finding the right, special one is hard but we are trying.

Today we visited a street in Norrebro Jaegersborgadde , full of independent shops offering a true feeling of Copenhagen. The event was precisely this: http://hellocopenhagen.dk/?p=2727 and we were expecting something more of an outdoor market. Somehow it was good that everything was inside ( cold weather + extreme tiredeness after having a Christmas/Polish/Danish celebrations last night) we had found many interesting places from which one was a HIT: CMYK KLD 51. An independent gallery run by an artist who is now selling works of her and her friends. Truly magical and you can find there excellent ideas for presents ( I got two excellent graphics in frames for a not high price!)

cmyk-kld-copenhagen-(by-mette-walsted)

Tomorrow we are heading to the Meatpacking District to see what they offer. Hopefully I would be in a better state of mind to also take my camera with me. Event also can be found here: http://hellocopenhagen.dk/?p=2740. Looks like a lot of fun!

HINT: We also wanted to see Tivoli, supposedly one of the best times is actually Christmas. We had asked our Danish friend: “is Tivoli opened on Sunday? “. He replied smiling: “well, ‘TIvoli is open’ in a Danish spoken language means that your zip is opened… Be careful what you say!

I read about this guide a lot already. It comes up randomly from different people and different places. It was made by designers and independent people about many cities in Europe, Copenhagen is of course included.

Thanks to “Hello Copenhagen” I managed to see another extraordinary event: A meeting of Sneaker Fans in one of the fanciest hotels in Copenhagen – Hotel d’Angleterre. My curiosity was huge: first of all, sneakers are something very ordinary nowadays, very casual fashion. And the meeting is held in a snobby lounge with great chandeliers and mirrors. A smile appeared on my face when Bobbito Garcia ( DJ Cucumberslice and formerly known as Bobbito The Barber, Make It Happen, Boogie Bob, Kool Bob Love, Soul Food Bob, and Bag of Tricks- don’t you just love this guy already?) stepped his feet on the scene. Track suit, sneakers a t-shirt, no baseball cap… He talked about his book about sneaker culture “Where’d you get those?”, his projects, he even presented a video with Fat Joe concerning his collection of sneakers. It sounded very American and somehow unimportant. But it might be the whole scenery taking over the speech itself.

There is an existing problem of what to do when visitors come to Copenhagen.

Personally, I encountered so many fantastic sites that it is practically impossible to decide for me what my guest should see- everything seems to be equally important and worth seeing.

I had to come to a compromise- choose what is the most important ( must-sees)+interesting+entertaining. This is a short advice for those who are struggling to entertain their guests.

FOR A SHORT STAY

*Canal tours (http://www.canaltours.dk/dct/da) perfect to see everything: starting from Nyhavn ( old sailor/red light district) going to see the Opera ( new 14 storey building with 5 levels under water), Amalienborg ( Queen’s residence), The little Mermaid, Black Diamond and many more. Takes an hour and is around 60 dkk. Worth it!

* Stroll around Stroget, well after all it is the main shopping district and the building are quite interesting. For those who prefer more cosy and less commercial atmosphere just go onto the parallel street to Stroget: running to the South STRAEDET– many bars and little boutiques. Also an excellent jazz bar La Fontaine (http://www.lafontaine.dk/ ), good entertainment for the evening.

where to eat with your guests? well, if you are active visitors you would like to see as much as you can, then just rely on the hot-dog stands. I would suggest the ones with red-yellow colors and name “Tulip”, the other are blue red and white, I guess.

In the center: Close to Norreport station- Kalaset cafe. Always a good bet.

FOR A LONGER STAY

Then you have a whole variety. However, things which are exciting and a bit further from Copenhagen are:

*LOUISIANA MUSEUM (http://www.louisiana.dk/dk) – Museum for Modern Art. you have to take a train to Humlabaek ( half an hour from Central Copenhagen) have a 10 min walk and there you are: fantastic building with a great garden by the seaside with all kind of forms of art: sculptures, mirror toilet and a square for kids.

Park at Lousiana

* A trip to Sweden, just half an hour and you are in another country! Malmo Central is the closest stop and it is worth seeing- a bit industrial but still charming. At the train station go to the tourist office and ask for a map and there you have all the must-sees: main square, design centre and famous Torso. From Malmo- next stop LUND. Charming town of 90 000 inhabitants and great academic atmosphere from XVIIth century. Different times!!!

” we are moving the exhibit. Gallery in Copenhagen made an offer and we accepted”. Bastards!

This is where the problem started. Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman and William H. Macy work as guards in a Museum and are totally crazy about some exhibits ( one each). They need to keep them from being taken to Museum in Copenhagen.

Walken and Freeman turn into nice elderly men that have passion but no real idea and grip to take care of the situation ( I still remember Walken in “True Romance”…)

Good for cold, soaked evenings (I guess we are going to have plenty of them).